Wipe dispenser

ABSTRACT

In exemplary embodiments, a wipe packaging body in which a lid body can be closed securely even when a bulk of a stack of wipes stored in a storage container decreases, thereby preventing the wipes from drying out, and the wipes can be extracted more easily by picking up a tip end part of each wipe. In the container of the wipe packaging body, an extraction port member is hermetically joined to an opening portion of the storage container, and an orifice member that applies two types of resistance in order to separate a wipe extracted initially from the stored stack of wipes from a following wipe. The orifice member has a pressing portion that presses the stack of wipes so as to apply a first resistance to the wipes and an orifice that applies a second resistance generated by frictional force to the wipes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a wipe packaging body in which astacked body of overlapping wipes is stored in a container structuralbody.

BACKGROUND ART

A wipe packaging body is configured such that a stacked body formed froma plurality of stacked wipes is stored in a container structural body.The wipes are moist sheets obtained by impregnating sheets made of paperor nonwoven fiber, such as web sheets, with a chemical solution such asan antiseptic solution or a sterilization solution or the like, and arestored hermetically in the container structural body so as to remainmoistened by the chemical solution or the like. The wipes can beextracted from the container structural body when required and used in awide variety of applications, such as wiping the hands and wiping theposterior.

The container structural body is configured by forming a storagecontainer using plastic, a flexible film material, or the like asappropriate, and hermetically joining an extraction port member havingan extraction port for extracting the wipes one at a time to the outsidefrom the stack of wipes stored in the storage container to an openingportion of the storage container. When a wipe is extracted to theoutside from the stack of wipes stored in the container structural body,a resistance force is applied between a wipe that is extracted initiallyand a following wipe as the wipes pass through an orifice or the like inthe vicinity of the extraction port such that the wipes are separatedfrom each other at a separation portion, and as a result, the leadingwipe is separated from the stack of wipes in the container structuralbody and extracted. At this time, a tip end part of the following wipeprojects slightly toward the extraction port. Hence, during a subsequentuse, the following wipe can be extracted from the continuous wipe bodyby gripping the projecting part of the following wipe and pulling thewipe in a direction leading out of the container structural body.

In this type of wipe packaging body, when the extraction port of thepackaging body is left open, the projecting tip end part of thefollowing wipe, and indeed the entire stack of wipes, are likely to dryout more quickly. The container structural body of the wipe packagingbody is therefore typically provided with a lid body that is capable ofhermetically sealing and opening the extraction port repeatedly (PatentDocuments 1 and 2, for example). As a result, the interior of thecontainer structural body in this type of packaging body can bemaintained effectively in a hermetically sealed condition, therebyeffectively preventing volatilization of the chemical solution or thelike with which the wipes constituting the stack of wipes stored in thecontainer structural body are impregnated.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No.2004-196303

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No.2010-173649

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

As the wipes stored in the wipe packaging body are consumed, the numberof wipes constituting the stack of wipes in the container structuralbody gradually decreases, leading to a reduction in a bulk of the stackof wipes. Accordingly, since the orifice is typically provided in thevicinity of the extraction port, an interval between a surface of thestack of wipes in the container structural body and the orifice widens.When, in this condition, further wipes are extracted, the wipes passthrough the orifice more easily, and as a result, a delay is more likelyto occur in a timing at which the wipes are separated from each other atthe separation portion. An excessively large part of the wipe thatfollows the initially extracted wipe may therefore be extracted, and asa result, the tip end portion may project to the outside from theextraction port by an excessively large amount.

When the tip end portion of the following wipe projects from theextraction port by an excessively large amount, it becomes difficult toclose the extraction port securely with the lid body, and therefore theinterior of the container structural body cannot be hermetically sealedreliably. As a result, a serious problem arises in that it becomesimpossible to maintain the stack of wipes in a moistened condition.

Furthermore, when the number of wipes constituting the stack of wipesdecreases such that the interval between the surface of the stack ofwipes and the orifice widens, the tip end of the wipe that remains inthe container structural body after being separated at the separationportion may not be held by the orifice, and as a result may fall backinto the container structural body. In this case, picking up the tip endpart of the fallen wipe in order to extract the wipe again is difficult,laborious, and so on.

In a case where the storage container of the container structural bodyis a bag-shaped body formed from a flexible film material or the like,the following wipe can be prevented from escaping through the orifice bycrushing the storage container so as to narrow the interval between thesurface of the stack of wipes and the extraction port. When the storagecontainer is crushed, however, a crease may form in the storagecontainer such that the storage container becomes more likely to splitalong the crease. When the storage container splits even slightly, thehermetic seal applied to the container structural body may greatlydeteriorate such that the wipes dry out even more quickly.

An object of the present invention is to provide a wipe packaging bodywith which wipes can be separated from each other and extracted reliablyfrom a container structural body storing a moistened stack of wipes, thewipes can be prevented from drying out even when a bulk of the stack ofwipes decreases without complicating a process for closing the containerstructural body using a lid body, and the wipes can be extracted moreeasily by picking up a tip end part of each wipe.

The present invention is

(1) a wipe packaging body formed by storing a stack of wipes constitutedby a plurality of overlapping wipes in a storage container of acontainer structural body, wherein

in the container structural body, an extraction port member having anextraction port for extracting the wipes from the storage container ishermetically joined to an opening portion of the storage container, andan orifice member that applies two types of resistance in order toseparate a wipe extracted initially from the stored stack of wipes froma following wipe is provided in a position further within the storagecontainer than the extraction port of the extraction port member, theorifice member having a pressing portion that presses the stack of wipesso as to apply a first resistance to the wipes and an orifice thatapplies a second resistance generated by frictional force to the wipes,and

the container structural body has a lid body that can be opened andclosed freely, and is capable of hermetically sealing the extractionport,

(2) the wipe packaging body described in (1), wherein the orifice memberis supported by the extraction port member,(3) the wipe packaging body described in (1) or (2), wherein the orificemember is configured to move toward a rear of the storage containerwhile pressing the stack of wipes in accordance with an amount by whicha bulk of the stack of wipes decreases as the wipes are extracted,(4) the wipe packaging body described in any of (1) to (3), wherein aforce required to separate the wipes from each other is between 20 and800 mN/cm,(5) the wipe packaging body described in any of (1) to (3), wherein theorifice member is constituted by an elastic member,(6) the wipe packaging body described in any of (1) to (3), wherein theorifice member includes a base end and a free end,

the orifice member is supported within the storage container in acantilevered fashion at the base end, and

the pressing portion is provided in a part of the orifice member otherthan the base end,

(7) the wipe packaging body described in any of (1) to (3), wherein theorifice member is supported within the storage container at both of twobase ends sandwiching the orifice, and

the pressing portion is provided in a part of the orifice member otherthan the two base ends,

(8) the wipe packaging body described in any of (1) to (3), wherein theorifice member includes a curved portion that projects toward the rearof the storage container, and

the orifice is formed in the curved portion, and

(9) the wipe packaging body described in any of (1) to (3), wherein,when a force required to separate the wipes from each other is F0, thefirst resistance, which serves as a pressing force applied to the wipesby the orifice member, is F1, and the second resistance, which serves asthe frictional force applied to the wipes by the orifice member, is F2,a relationship of F1<F0<F1+F2 is established between F0, F1, and F2.

The wipe packaging body according to the present invention is providedwith the orifice member including the pressing portion that applies thefirst resistance by pressing the stack of wipes and the orifice thatapplies the second resistance generated by frictional force. Hence, whena wipe is to be extracted, two types the resistance are applied toseparate the leading wipe from the following wipe, and therefore thewipe extracted initially from the stack of wipes can be separated fromthe following wipe reliably and extracted. Further, even when the bulkof the stack of wipes stored in the storage container decreases, the tipend of the following wipe is not extracted by an excessive amount, andtherefore the interior of the container structural body can behermetically sealed reliably by the lid body so that the wipes areprevented from drying out. Moreover, the wipes can be extracted moreeasily by picking up the tip end part of the wipe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an outer configuration ofa wipe packaging body according to a first embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a condition ofa cross-section taken along an A-A line in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is a schematic perspective view showing an outer configurationof a structural part of the wipe packaging body, the structural partbeing constituted by an extraction port member, an orifice member, and alid body, and FIG. 3B is a schematic perspective view showing an outerconfiguration of the structural part constituted by the extraction portmember, the orifice member, and the lid body from a lower surface side;

FIG. 4A is an illustrative view showing a condition in which a wipe isextracted through an extraction port, FIG. 4B is an illustrative viewshowing a condition in which the wipe has been extracted, and FIG. 4C isan illustrative view showing a condition in which the extraction port isclosed by the lid body after extracting the wipe;

FIG. 5 is an illustrative view showing a condition in which a wipe isextracted through the extraction port in a case where a bulk of a stackof wipes has decreased;

FIG. 6 is a side view showing an example of a stack of wipes that can bestored in the wipe packaging body;

FIG. 7 is a side view showing another example of a stack of wipes thatcan be stored in the wipe packaging body;

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustrative view showing an outer configurationof the orifice member removed from the wipe packaging body in acondition where a wipe on a surface of the stack of wipes is extractedthrough an orifice of the orifice member;

FIG. 9 is an illustrative view showing an example of a case in which thewipe packaging body is used upright;

FIG. 10 is an illustrative view showing another example of a case inwhich the wipe packaging body is used upright;

FIG. 11 is an illustrative view showing a case in which an elastic bodyis attached to the orifice member;

FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view showing an outer configurationof an orifice member removed from a wipe packaging body according to asecond embodiment;

FIG. 13 is an illustrative view showing a condition in which the orificemember is provided in the wipe packaging body according to the secondembodiment, and depicting orifice member forming pieces forming theorifice member in a case where the bulk of the stack of wipes hasdecreased;

FIG. 14 is an illustrative view showing an example of a case in which anorifice member is attached to an extraction portion according to a thirdembodiment;

FIG. 15 is an illustrative view showing an example of a case in which arib is attached to the orifice member;

FIG. 16 is an illustrative view showing an example of a case in which acurved portion is formed on the orifice member and the curved portion isformed so as to curve in two directions;

FIG. 17 is an illustrative view showing a wipe packaging body accordingto a fourth embodiment and a schematic longitudinal sectional viewshowing a longitudinal section that corresponds to FIG. 2; and

FIG. 18 is a view showing various shapes of the orifice.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION First Embodiment

A configuration of a wipe packaging body 1 according to a firstembodiment of the present invention will be described below withreference to FIG. 1 and so on.

In this specification, upward, downward, frontward, rearward, leftward,and rightward directions are, unless specified otherwise, defined asfollows. When the wipe packaging body 1 is disposed such that anextraction port 12 faces an opposite side to a disposal surface side, adirection heading from a stacked body 6 toward the extraction port 12 isdefined as an upward direction. In this case, a direction correspondingto a thickness direction of the stacked body 6 is defined as an up-downdirection. In the wipe packaging body 1, as shown in FIG. 1, when an xyzthree-dimensional space defined by three mutually orthogonal axes,namely an x axis, a y axis, and a z axis, is envisaged, a z axisdirection and a y axis direction correspond respectively to the up-downdirection and a front-rear direction. In this case, an x axis directioncorresponds to a left-right direction. Further, in the wipe packagingbody 1, a direction heading away from the extraction port 12 of acontainer structural body 3 and heading toward an interior of thecontainer structural body 3 is defined as a rearward direction.Furthermore, a case in which the wipe packaging body 1 is seen fromabove corresponds to a case in which the wipe packaging body 1 is viewedin a downward direction from the upward direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wipe packaging body 1 according to thepresent invention is formed by hermetically joining an extraction portmember 17 including the extraction port 12 to an opening portion 16 of astorage container 15. The opening portion 16 of the storage container 15and the extraction port member 17 joined to the opening portion 16together constitute an extraction portion 11, and a wipe 7 is extractedto the outside of the container structural body 3 through the extractionport 12 of the extraction portion 11. The stack of wipes 6 (referred tohereafter simply as the stacked body 6) is formed from a plurality ofoverlapping wipes 7 and stored in the storage container 15. An orificemember 4 that applies two types of resistance in order to separate awipe extracted initially from the stacked body 6 stored in the packagingcontainer from a following wipe is provided in the container structuralbody 15 in a position located further within the storage container 15than the extraction port 12 of the extraction port member 17.

(Storage Container 15)

The storage container 15 may be formed in any shape as long as the shapein which the storage container 15 is formed includes an interior spacein which the stacked body 6 can be stored. The storage container 15 maybe a bag-shaped body obtained by forming a flexible film material or thelike into a bag shape, or a box-shaped body formed from a resin materialsuch as plastic. When the storage container 15 is a bag-shaped body, ahermetically sealed bag is used as the bag-shaped body. Morespecifically, the bag-shaped body is preferably formed from a flexibleplastic film or the like in the shape of a pillow-shaped bag such asthat shown in FIG. 1 and so on, for example.

(Opening Portion 16)

A shape and a size of the opening portion 16 formed in the storagecontainer 15 may be selected appropriately as long as the wipes 7 can beextracted through the opening portion 16. In the example shown in FIGS.1, 2, and so on, the opening portion 16 is formed as a substantiallysquare-shaped opening in a predetermined region on an upper surface sideof the storage container 15. However, the size and shape of the openingportion 16 are not limited to this example.

(Extraction Port Member 17)

The extraction port member 17 is attached to the storage container 15 sothat when the wipe packaging body 1 is seen from above, at least a partof the extraction port 12 is positioned within the region of the storagecontainer 15 in which the opening portion 16 is formed. To ensure thatthe wipes 7 can be extracted easily, however, the extraction port member17 is more preferably attached to the storage container 15 so that whenthe wipe packaging body 1 is seen from above, the entire extraction port12 is positioned within the region of the storage container 15 in whichthe opening portion 16 is formed. There are no particular limitations ona material of the extraction port member 17, and a thermoplastic resinmaterial such as polyethylene or polypropylene or the like may beselected. However, the extraction port member 17 is preferably formedfrom a harder material than the storage container 15. In the containerstructural body 3, the opening portion 16 and a periphery thereof can beeffectively strengthened by hermetically joining the extraction portmember 17 to the opening portion 16 of the storage container 15.

(Extraction Port 12)

The extraction port 12 of the extraction port member 17 may be formed inany shape and size as long as the wipes 7 can be extracted to theoutside of the container structural body 3 from the stacked body 6stored in the interior of the container structural body 3.

(Extraction Portion 19)

As shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and so on, the extraction port member 17 isformed to have a substantially square outline when the wipe packagingbody 1 is seen from above and a lid body 5 is closed. The extractionport member 17 may be attached so as to face an outer surface side ofthe opening portion 16 of the storage container 15, or so as to face aninner surface side of the opening portion 16 of the storage container15. In the example shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and so on, an upper sidesurface of the extraction port member 17 serves as an extraction portion19, and the extraction port member 17 is attached such that theextraction portion 19 faces the inner surface side of the openingportion 16 of the storage container 15. Hot-melt adhesion, welding, andso on may be cited as examples of methods of attaching the extractionport member 17 to the storage container 15, but the present invention isnot limited thereto, and various methods selected as desired may beused.

(Lid Body 5)

The lid body 5 is provided on the container structural body 3 so as tobe opened and closed freely, and is capable of hermetically sealing theextraction port 12. In the example shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and so on,the lid body 5 is attached to the extraction port member 17 via a hingeportion 5 a.

The lid body 5 may be molded integrally with the extraction port member17 via the hinge portion 5 a. Alternatively, the hinge portion 5 a andthe extraction port member 17 may be formed separately and then joinedintegrally. When the lid body 5 is molded integrally with the hingeportion 5 a and the extraction port member 17, the orifice member 4, tobe described below, may also be molded integrally with the lid body 5,the hinge portion 5 a, and the extraction port member 17. The lid body 5may be molded integrally with the hinge portion 5 a but formedseparately to the extraction port member 17. The lid body 5 may beformed from a similar material to the extraction port member 17, forexample a thermoplastic resin material such as polyethylene orpolypropylene. As shown in FIG. 4C, by providing the wipe packaging body1 with the lid body 5, a situation in which the wipes 7 are exposed fromthe container structural body 3 can be reliably prevented from occurringusing the lid body 5, and as a result, drying out of the stored stackedbody 6, and therefore the wipes 7, can be suppressed effectively.

(Wipe 7)

The wipe 7 is a moist sheet that is molded using paper, woven fabric,non-woven fabric, or the like constituted by synthetic or naturalfibers, for example, and impregnated with a chemical solution or thelike. Examples of the chemical solution or the like include alcohol,water, or a mixture thereof. Further, a perfume, an antibacterial agent,a deodorant, a surfactant, an antiseptic, a dye, an antifoaming agent,an antioxidant, a clarifier, a solubilizing agent, a pH regulatingagent, or the like may be selected as desired and blended into thechemical solution. Note that the materials cited above are examples ofthe sheets, chemical solutions, and so on constituting the stacked body6, and other materials may be selected and used as desired. In thepresent invention, the wipe 7 refers to both a sheet-shaped memberseparated from the stacked body 6 and a sheet-shaped member within thestacked body constituting the stacked body 6.

(Stacked Body 6)

The stacked body 6, as shown schematically by a dotted line in FIG. 2,is a structural body formed by stacking the plurality of wipes 7. Thestacked body 6 may be formed as a folded structure or wound into a rollstructure. Note that when the stacked body 6 is a folded structure, thestacked body 6 is less likely to become wrinkled and lose its shapefollowing repeated operations to extract the wipes 7 from the containerstructural body 3 of the wipe packaging body 1, and therefore a foldedstructure is preferable.

The stacked body 6, when formed as a folded structure, may be a stackedbody (referred to hereafter simply as a sheet-type stacked body) formedby partially overlapping and stacking a plurality of independent wipes,or a stacked body (referred to hereafter simply as a perforated stackedbody) formed by stacking adjacent wipes connected via perforations.Further, when wound into a roll structure, the stacked body 6 may be astacked body (referred to hereafter simply as a perforated roll-typestacked body) formed by stacking adjacent wipes connected byperforations into a roll shape.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the overlapping parts or perforations of thewipes 7 in the stacked body 6 form separation portions 10, and when theoperation to extract the wipe 7 from the wipe packaging body 1 isperformed, the wipe 7 that is extracted from the stacked body 6 throughthe extraction port 12 initially and the following wipe 7 are pulledapart from each other by the separation portion 10.

According to the present invention, in the case of the sheet-typestacked body, the wipe 7 is separated from the stacked body 6 when theleading wipe 7 is pulled away from the stacked body 6 and separated fromthe following wipe in a part where the two wipes 7, 7 contact eachother. Further, in the case of the perforated stacked body and theperforated roll-type stacked body, the wipe 7 is separated from thestacked body 6 when the leading wipe 7 is torn apart from the followingwipe 7 in the position of the perforations or the like.

(Orifice Member 4)

The orifice member 4 includes a pressing portion 18 and an orifice 13for respectively applying a first resistance to the wipe 7 by pressingthe stacked body 6 and applying a second resistance generated byfrictional force to the wipe 7 when the wipe 7 is extracted from thestacked body 6. The orifice member 4 moves toward a rear of the storagecontainer 15 while pressing the stacked body 6 in accordance with anamount by which a bulk of the stacked body 6 decreases as the wipes 7are extracted through the extraction port 12. Accordingly, the orifice13 likewise moves toward the rear side (in the direction of an arrow Kin FIG. 2) of the storage container 15. The pressing portion 18 of theorifice member 4 contacts the stacked body 6 so as to press the stackedbody 6, and as the orifice member 4 moves in accordance with the amountby which the bulk of the stacked body 6 decreases, the position of thepressing portion 18 serving as a contact portion between the orificemember 4 and the stacked body 6 also moves. There are no particularlimitations on a material of the orifice member 4, and a thermoplasticresin material such as polyethylene or polypropylene or the like may beused.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the orifice member 4 is supported in acantilevered fashion by the extraction portion 11 of the extraction portmember 17 at a base end 21 thereof. The orifice member 4 is formed froma material possessing elasticity, for example, and the orifice member 4shown in this example extends so as to tilt diagonally toward the rearside of the storage container 15 from a predetermined position on thebase end 21 side toward a free end 22 side. The free end 22 side of theorifice member 4 is moved toward the rear side of the storage container15 by an elastic force of the material constituting the orifice member 4or a biasing force generated by a spring or the like, and as shown bydotted lines in FIG. 2, the orifice member 4 (T0) is shaped such that ina natural condition not pressing the stacked body 6, the free end 22 ispositioned below a bottom portion of the storage container 15 (in animaginary condition where the bottom portion of the storage container 15does not exist). In a condition where the orifice member 4 presses thesurface of the stacked body 6, as shown in FIG. 2, the orifice member 4deforms elastically from this imaginary condition so as to rotate aboutthe base end 21 in accordance with the amount by which the bulk of thestacked body 6 has decreased, and as a result, the free end 22 movestoward the rear side of the storage container 15. Note that although theorifice member 4 does not have to be attached to the extraction portion11, the orifice member 4 is preferably supported by the extraction portmember 17 on a peripheral portion of the extraction portion 11 or thelike.

(Pressing Portion 18)

The pressing portion 18 of the orifice member 4 is a site that pressesthe stacked body 6 in order to apply the first resistance to the wipes.Hence, the pressing portion 18 of the orifice member 4 serves as thepart that contacts and presses the stacked body 6, and therefore anysite of the orifice member 4 other than the base end 21 supported by theextraction portion 11 may function as the pressing portion 18. Theorifice member 4 is configured to move toward the rear side of thestorage container 15 as the bulk of the stacked body 6 decreases, andtherefore the pressing portion 18 of the orifice member 4 remainspressed against the surface of the stacked body 6 so as to press thestacked body 6 even when the bulk of the stacked body 6 decreases. As aresult, the first resistance is applied to the stacked body 6continuously.

(Orifice 13)

As shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, 8, and so on, when the wipe 7 is extractedthrough the extraction port 12, the wipe 7 is pulled through the orifice13. Accordingly, the orifice 13 applies the second resistance generatedby frictional force to the wipe 7 while holding a tip end portion of thefollowing wipe 7 (a tip end 6 a of the stacked body 6). The secondresistance applied to the wipe 7 by the orifice 13 as frictional forceacts together with the first resistance generated by the pressingportion 18 as a force for separating the leading wipe 7 from thefollowing wipe 7. The orifice 13 is provided in a part of thecantilever-supported orifice member 4 other than the base end 21 of theorifice member 4, and a formation position thereof may be selectedappropriately as desired. However, the orifice 13 is preferably formedin a central position of the orifice member 4 to ensure that even whenthe frictional resistance between the orifice 13 and the wipe 7increases to a certain extent, unintended deformation of the orificemember 4 caused by the frictional resistance can be suppressed easily.

There are no particular limitations on a shape and a structure of theorifice 13, but in the example shown in FIG. 8, the orifice 13 is formedto include an elongated hole-shaped gripping hole portion 28 thatextends in the left-right direction (the x axis direction).

The orifice 13 may be formed from the gripping hole portion 28 alone,but instead, as shown in FIG. 8, thin, elongated auxiliary holes 33, 34may be formed at intervals so as to extend in a width direction (a shortdiameter direction) of the gripping hole portion 28 in positionsslightly removed from the gripping hole portion 28, and the orifice 13may be constituted by slits 37 connecting the gripping hole portion 28to the auxiliary holes 33 and slits 38 connecting the auxiliary holes 33to the auxiliary holes 34. When the orifice 13 is configured thus, andan attempt is made to extract the tip end portion 6 a of the stackedbody 6 through the orifice 13, the tip end portion 6 a of the stackedbody 6 and a peripheral part thereof pass through the auxiliary holes33, 34 and the slits 37, 38 as well as the gripping hole portion 28, andtherefore friction can be applied to the wipe 7 from the auxiliary holes33, 34 and the slits 37, 38 as well as the gripping hole portion 28.When the orifice 13 is configured to include the auxiliary holesprovided in the width direction of the gripping hole portion 28 and theslits in addition to the gripping hole portion 28, as shown in FIG. 8,and the stacked body 6 is formed by folding and overlapping theplurality of wipes 7, the width direction (the short diameter direction)of the gripping hole portion 28 is preferably provided parallel to awidth direction of the wipes 7. Note that the gripping hole portion 28is not limited to being formed in the elongated hole shape shown in FIG.8, and there are no particular limitations on the shape thereof.However, the gripping hole portion 28 is preferably large enough toinsert a finger therein. The gripping hole portion 28 may be a narrowslit-shaped opening, and by forming the orifice 13 from a flexiblesheet, the orifice 13 can be configured to open widely only when thewipe 7 is extracted and to be returned to the narrow slit shape byelastic force thereafter so as to apply frictional resistance to theextracted wipe 7. Furthermore, the gripping hole portion 28 of theorifice 13 may be partitioned by a linear or planar elastic member.

The orifice 13 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 8, and may takevarious forms, such as those shown in FIGS. 18A to 18D. Moreover, thegripping hole portion 28, the auxiliary holes 33, 34 provided in thewidth direction thereof, and the slits 37, 38 are not limited to asymmetrical arrangement such as that shown in FIG. 8, and instead, theauxiliary holes 33 and the slits 37 may be disposed asymmetricallyrelative to the gripping hole portion 28, as shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B,or the auxiliary holes 33, 34 and the slits 37, 38 may be disposedasymmetrically relative to the gripping hole portion 28, as shown inFIG. 18D. With these arrangements, the wipe 7 can be extracted from thestacked body 6 through only the auxiliary holes 33, 34 and slits 37, 38,which have a smaller hole diameter than the gripping hole portion 28. Asa result, frictional force can be applied to the wipe 7 in a largeramount than when the auxiliary holes 33, 34 and the slits 37, 38 aredisposed symmetrically relative to the gripping hole portion 28, andtherefore the leading wipe 7 can be separated from the following wipe 7more reliably. FIG. 8 shows the orifice 13 having a structure in whichthe gripping hole portion 28 and the auxiliary holes provided in thewidth direction thereof are connected by the slits. When the widthdirection of the gripping hole portion 28 is set to correspond to thewidth direction of the wipes, the wipe 7 is less likely to be wrinkledwhen friction is applied thereto by the orifice 13 during the extractionprocess, which is preferable in terms of the outer appearance of thewipe 7. The orifice is not limited to the orifice shape shown in FIG. 8,and may be formed in any shape that can prevent the wipe 7 from beingtightly squeezed by the orifice 13. As a result, wrinkles can beprevented from forming on the extracted wipe 7.

In the orifice member 4 supported in cantilevered fashion by theextraction portion 11 as described above, the pressing portion 18 exertsa force for pressing the stacked body 6 as the free end 22 side of theorifice member 4 moves toward the rear side of the container structuralbody 3. Accordingly, the free end 22 side of the orifice member 4rotates about the base end 21 side in accordance with the reduction inthe bulk of the stacked body 6 so that the pressing portion 18 contactsthe top surface of the stacked body 6 and presses the stacked body 6 atall times, and as a result, the first resistance is applied by thepressing portion 18 continuously.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the orifice member 4 is configured such thatas the bulk of the stacked body 6 decreases, the orifice 13 moves towardthe rear side of the storage container 15 while the pressing portion 18presses the stacked body 6 so as to apply the first resistance thereto.In FIG. 2, a reference symbol 4 (T1) indicated by dot-dash lines denotesthe orifice member 4 in a condition where the bulk of the stacked body 6has decreased, and a reference symbol 4 (T2) indicated by dot-dot-dashlines denotes the orifice member 4 in a condition where the bulk of thestacked body 6 has decreased further. A reference symbol 13 (T1)indicated by dot-dash lines denotes the orifice 13 of the orifice member4 (T1), and a reference symbol 13 (T2) indicated by dot-dot-dash linesdenotes the orifice 13 of the orifice member 4 (T2). Furthermore, inFIG. 5, a reference symbol 7 (N2) denotes the wipe 7 following anextracted wipe 7 (N1). Note that in the example of FIG. 2, the orificemember 4 bends in a predetermined position during elastic deformationthereof so as to form a bent portion 23, but this is merely an example,and the bent portion 23 need not be formed during elastic deformation ofthe orifice member 4.

When the wipe 7 is extracted such that the leading wipe and thefollowing wipe are separated from each other, the first resistance isapplied by the pressing portion 18 and the second resistance is appliedby the orifice 13. The leading wipe 7 and the following wipe 7 areseparated by these two types of resistance, and as a result, tip end ofthe following wipe 7 is held by the frictional force exerted thereon bythe orifice 13 so as to project from the orifice 13. The leading wipe 7and the following wipe 7 are separated at a favorable timing by theaction of the two types of resistance, namely the first resistanceapplied by the pressing portion 18 and the second resistance applied bythe orifice 13, with the result that the following wipe 7 is held in theorifice 13 by the frictional force such that the tip end portion thereofprojects by an appropriate amount. Hence, the tip end of the followingwipe is not extracted in an excessively large amount, and does not fallback through the orifice 13. The lid body 5 can therefore be closedsecurely so as to prevent the remaining wipes 7 from drying out, and thefollowing wipes can be extracted without difficulty.

When a force required to separate the wipes from each other is F0, thefirst resistance applied to the stacked body 6 by the orifice member 4is F1, and the second resistance generated by the frictional forceapplied to the wipe by the orifice 13 of the orifice member 4 is F2, arelationship of

F1<F0<F1+F2  (1)

is preferably established between F0, F1, and F2. When the inequalityshown in (1) is established between F1 and F2 in relation to the forceF0 required to separate the wipes from each other, the wipe 7 that isextracted from the stacked body 6 initially can be separated from thefollowing wipe 7 reliably and extracted, while the tip end portion ofthe following wipe 7 can be pulled up to the orifice 13 and heldreliably in the orifice 13. When F0<F1, on the other hand, the leadingwipe 7 can be separated from the following wipe 7 and extracted, but thetip end of the following wipe may not be pulled up to the position ofthe orifice 13, and it may therefore be difficult to hold the tip end ofthe following wipe 7 in the orifice 13. As a result, it becomesdifficult and laborious to extract the following wipe 7. Furthermore,when F1+F2<F0, the leading wipe 7 may not be separated from thefollowing wipe 7, and as a result, the wipes 7 may be extracted whilestill connected. Note that the first resistance F1 corresponds mainly tothe pressing force generated by the pressing portion of the orificemember 4, while the second resistance F2 is the frictional force 18generated between the wipe and the orifice 13. However, the firstresistance F1 serves as a pressing force for pressing the wipes 7 whenthe wipes 7 are stacked, and includes both the pressing force and thefrictional force generated by the pressing force and applied to thewipes 7 when the wipes 7 are extracted.

(Force Required to Separate Wipes from Each Other)

In the present invention, when the wipe 7 is extracted from the stackedbody 6, the force required to separate the wipes from each other so thatthe wipes 7 are separated reliably and extracted one at a time ispreferably between 20 and 800 mN/cm, and more preferably between 54 and399 mN/cm. The force for separating the wipes from each other takes avalue measured in accordance with method A (a strip method) of JIS L1096.

Results obtained by measuring the force required to separate the wipesfrom each other in the sheet-type stacked body and the perforatedroll-type stacked body will be described below.

(Measurement of Sheet-Type Stacked Body)

With respect to nine types of sheet-type stacked bodies shown on Table1, a force required to separate a first wipe (a wipe positioned on anuppermost surface of the stacked body) from the stacked body, a forcerequired to separate a wipe positioned on the upper surface of thestacked body when a thickness of the stacked body has halved, and aforce required to separate a wipe positioned on an upper surface side ofthe final two wipes of the stacked body were measured using a tensiontesting machine (a 50 N load cell having a constant rate of extension,manufactured by Orientec Co., Ltd.) at chuck intervals of 20 cm and atension speed of 10 cm/minute. A strength P1 (N) upon separation of thewipes was then measured, whereupon a strength (mN/cm) per unit width(cm) of the wipe was determined and an arithmetic mean value of thestrength determined from the measurements performed in the threelocations was set as the force (a wipe separation force) required toseparate the wipe from the stacked body. Results are shown on Table 1.The width of the wipe, a surface area of the overlapping portion, and amoistening ratio of the respective stacked bodies used in the test arealso shown on Table 1. A similar measurement was performed on a stackedbody of dry tissues having a width and an overlapping portion surfacearea shown on Table 1. However, the wipe separation force in this casewas lower than 2 mN/cm, 2 mN/cm being a lower limit value that can bemeasured by the testing machine, and therefore the measurement could notbe performed.

TABLE 1 Wipe Surface Moist- separation area of ening Test Type of stackof force Width overlapping ratio (%) No. wipes (mN/cm) (cm) portion(cm²) *1 No. 1 Sheet-type stacked 118 13.8  23.6 255.2 body No. 2Sheet-type stacked 118 13.9  21.1 258.6 body No. 3 Sheet-type stacked 54 13.5  39.9 245.7 body No. 4 Sheet-type stacked  95 13.3  43.4 232.1body No. 5 Sheet-type stacked 101 14.8  60.8 229.3 body No. 6 Sheet-typestacked 237 16.0  67.2 245.6 body No. 7 Sheet-type stacked 127 16.9 72.5 299.8 body No. 8 Sheet-type stacked 399 15.2  66.2 280.0 body No.9 Sheet-type stacked  70 13.7  46.1 231.6 body No. 10 Perforated 20015.0 — 318.7 roll-type stacked body No. 11 Perforated 301 13.0 — 274.8roll-type stacked body No. 12 Perforated 191 12.3 — 291.1 roll-typestacked body No. 13 Perforated 183 14.0 — 310.2 roll-type stacked bodyNo. 14 Perforated 191 14.4 — 306.6 roll-type stacked body No. 15 Stackedbody of dry Not 23.4 189.9   8.2 tissues measurable (less than 2 mN/cm)*1 The moistening ratio was determined using a following equation from amass (a pre-drying mass) of the moistened wipe prior to drying and amass (an absolute dry mass) after the moist wipe is dried in a drier at105° C. ± 5° C. until the wipe reaches a constant mass and then cooledto room temperature. Moistening ratio (%) = (pre-drying mass − absolutedry mass)/absolute dry mass × 100

(Measurement of Perforated Roll-Type Stacked Body)

With respect to the five types of perforated roll-type stacked bodiesshown on Table 1, the force required to separate the first wipe (thewipe positioned on the uppermost surface of the stacked body) from thestacked body, the force required to separate the wipe positioned on theupper surface of the stacked body when a diameter of the roll hashalved, and the force required to separate the wipe positioned on theupper surface side of the final two wipes of the stacked body weremeasured using a tension testing machine (a 50 N load cell having aconstant rate of extension, manufactured by Orientec Co., Ltd.) at chuckintervals of 20 cm and a tension speed of 10 cm/minute. A strength P2(N) upon separation of the wipes was then measured, whereupon thestrength (mN/cm) per unit width (cm) of the wipe was determined and thearithmetic mean value of the strength determined from the measurementsperformed in the three locations was set as the force (the wipeseparation force) required to separate the wipe from the stacked body.Results are shown on Table 1. The width and moistening ratio of therespective stacked bodies used in the test are also shown on Table 1.

(Rib 40)

As shown in FIG. 15, ribs 40 may be erected on the orifice member 4 oneither side of the orifice 13. There are no particular limitations onthe shape of the ribs 40, but in the example of FIG. 15, the ribs 40 areformed to extend in a direction heading from the base end 21 toward thefree end 22. The orifice 13 includes an application point at whichstress acts between the orifice 13 and the wipe 7, and therefore a loadis more likely to be exerted on this point than on other parts of theorifice 13. When the applied load is large or a load is applied manytimes, the orifice 13 and the vicinity thereof may deform, but byforming the ribs 40 on the orifice member 4 as described above, theorifice 13 and the vicinity thereof can be increased in rigidity, and asa result, deformation of the orifice 13 and the vicinity thereof can besuppressed.

(Elastic Body 24)

FIG. 11 shows a modified example of the first orifice member 4, in whichan elastic body 24 that applies a force for pressing the stacked body 6is attached to the orifice member 4 in a predetermined position on thebase end 21 side of the orifice member 4. A spring material constitutedby a plastic material, a metallic material, or the like, siliconerubber, and so on may be selected appropriately as the elastic body 24.By attaching the elastic body 24 to the orifice member 4, the forcegenerated by the orifice member 4 in the direction of the rear side ofthe container structural body 3 can be increased effectively. Hence, thestructure with which to apply a force for pressing the stacked body 6can be formed on the orifice member 4 as desired.

(Distance Between Base End 21 and Free End 22)

In the orifice member 4 according to the first embodiment, there are noparticular limitations on a distance between the base end 21 and thefree end 22. However, the distance between the base end 21 and the freeend 22 in a condition where the free end 22 has moved to the rearmostside of the container structural body 3 preferably equals or exceeds adistance from the extraction portion 11 to a bottom position of thestacked body 6 so that the pressing portion 18 of the orifice member 4can press the surface of the stacked body 6 until the final wipe 7 isextracted, thereby preventing the stacked structure of the stacked body6 from collapsing.

The orifice member 4 may be molded integrally with the extraction portmember 17 and the lid body 5 by injection molding or the like.Alternatively, the individually molded members may be combined andjoined integrally by any desired joining means. When the orifice member4 is molded integrally with the extraction port member 17 and the lidbody 5, however, a process for manufacturing the wipe packaging body issimplified, and as a result, the wipe packaging body 1 can bemanufactured easily and economically.

(Uses of Wipe Packaging Body 1)

The wipe packaging body 1 is not limited to being disposed on a carryingsurface 25 such that the extraction port 12 faces upwards, as shown inFIGS. 1, 2, and so on. In a case where the wipe packaging body 1 isconfigured such that the stacked body 6 is stored in the containerstructural body 3 serving as a casing, as shown in FIG. 9, for example,the wipe packaging body 1 may be used while disposed on the carryingsurface 25 in a condition where a formation surface of the extractionport 12 in the container structural body 3 is upright relative to ahorizontal plane such that the extraction port 12 is oriented in adifferent direction to the up-down direction. This use will be referredto as upright use (vertical use) of the wipe packaging body 1. In thiscase, it may be thought that the stacked structure of the stacked body 6in the wipe packaging body 1 will collapse more easily, but with thewipe packaging body 1 according to the first embodiment, the free end 22side of the orifice member 4 moves toward the rear side of the containerstructural body 3 such that the pressing portion 18 presses the stackedbody 6, and therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the stacked body 6 is pressedin the rearward direction of the container structural body 3 from theupper side of the stacked body 6. Hence, the stacked structure of thestacked body 6 is held reliably, thereby suppressing the danger ofcollapse.

Further, as shown by an example in FIG. 10, the wipe packaging body 1may be used upright such that the base end 21 side of the orifice member4 is positioned further toward the upper side than the free end 22 side.In this case, even when the stacked structure of the stacked body 6starts to collapse, the stacked body 6 is supported by the orificemember 4, and therefore collapse of the stacked structure of the stackedbody 6 is likewise suppressed.

Specific examples of the sheet-type stacked body and the perforatedstacked body will be described below.

(Example of Sheet-Type Stacked Body 6)

As shown in FIG. 6, for example, a structure formed by partiallyoverlapping a plurality of independent wipes 7 folded into apredetermined folding structure such that overlapping portions 10 a areformed may be used as the sheet-form stacked body 6. In this case, theoverlapping portion 10 a serves as the separation portion 10. FIG. 6shows a Z-folded stacked body 6 formed by stacking wipes 7 having afolding structure known as a Z fold, or in other words wipes 7 foldedinto a Z shape. The stacked body 6 is not limited to the Z fold, and a Wfold obtained by folding the wipes 7 into a W shape or a WZ foldobtained by alternately stacking a Z-folded wipe 7 and a W-folded wipe 7may also be used. The folding structure of the wipes 7 is not limited tothe W fold and the Z fold, and as long as the stacked body 6 can beconfigured as shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C such that when the leading wipe 7is pulled up, the following wipes 7 are pulled up continuously insequence, and when the leading wipe 7 is separated from the followingwipe 7, as shown in FIG. 4B, the tip end portion of the following wipe 7(i.e. the tip end portion 6 a of the stacked body 6) projects from theorifice 13, to be described below, in the manner shown in FIG. 4C, or inother words is held by the orifice 13, the stacked body 6 may be formedfrom wipes 7 having another folding structure, or from a combination ofW-folded wipes, Z-folded wipes, and wipes having another foldingstructure.

In the stacked body 6 shown in FIG. 6, the overlapping portion 10 a isformed by overlapping wipes 7 a, 7 b such that a terminal end side uppersurface 7 c of the wipe 7 a intended to be extracted first opposes astarting end side lower surface 7 d of the following wipe 7 b. When theleading wipe 7 a is pulled out of the container structural body 3storing the stacked body 6, the terminal end of the wipe 7 a pulls upthe starting end of the wipe 7 b by an adhesive force that acts betweenthe wipes 7 a, 7 b in the overlapping portion 10 a such that theoverlapping portion 10 a on the terminal end side of the wipe 7 a movestoward the orifice 13. As the wipe 7 a is extracted, the overlappingportion 10 a eventually passes through the orifice 13. At this time, thefollowing wipe 7 b receives the first resistance F1 from the pressingportion 18 of the orifice member 4 while the overlapping portion 10 areceives the second resistance F2 in the form of frictional resistancefrom the orifice 13, and as a result, the overlap between the wipes 7 a,7 b is more likely to be released. Once the starting end of the wipe 7 bhas been extracted by a certain extent to the outside of the orifice 13,to be described below, the terminal end of the wipe 7 a and the startingend of the following wipe 7 b separate such that the overlapping portion10 a disappears. In other words, the overlapping portion 10 a formed inthe part where the terminal end of the wipe 7 a and the starting end ofthe following wipe 7 b overlap serves as the separation portion 10 suchthat the wipe 7 a is pulled away from the stacked body 6 including thefollowing wipe 7 b at the separation portion 10.

(Example of Perforated Stacked Body 6)

As shown in FIG. 7, the stacked body 6 is formed by repeatedly foldingback an elongated wipe sheet 14 on which detachment portions 10 b areformed as the separation portions 10 so as to form a plurality of foldedback portions 8, 9. The elongated tissue sheet 14 is structured suchthat the wipes 7, 7 are arranged in a line in planar sequence in alengthwise direction and partially connected to each other. At thistime, a structural portion in which the wipes 7, 7 are partiallyconnected to each other serves as the separation portion 10. In thiscase, the separation portion 10 serves as a part in which the wipes 7, 7are detached from each other by the pressing force that acts thereonwhen the tip end portion of the stacked body 6 is pulled out of thecontainer structural body 3 and the frictional force received from theorifice 13, and therefore serves as the part where the wipe 7 is pulledaway from the stacked body 6. The separation portion 10 may be formed asdesired, for example in the form of perforations or in another form.

Note that the stacked body 6 shown in FIG. 7 is configured such that theseparation portions 10 are positioned substantially centrally within thestacked body 6, but this is merely an example, and the positions of theseparation portions 10 when viewing the stacked body 6 from the up-downdirection may be selected appropriately as desired. Further, the stackedbody 6 is not limited to a pattern in which a layer including theseparation portion 10 and a layer not including the separation portion10 occur alternately, as shown in FIG. 7, and the pattern in which theseparation portions 10 occur may be selected appropriately.

(Storage Space 26)

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and so on, the orifice member 4 may beconfigured such that a storage space 26 is formed between the extractionport 12 and the orifice member 4. The storage space 26 may be formed asa space portion between the orifice member 4 and the extraction port 12by forming the orifice member 4 in a plate shape having a curved portion27 that curves so as to project toward the rear side of the containerstructural body 3. By forming the storage space 26 in the wipe packagingbody 1, the part of the wipe 7 that projects to the outside through theorifice 13 can be stored in the storage container 15 more effectively.When the orifice member 4 is formed with the curved portion 27, theorifice 13 is preferably formed in a predetermined position in thecurved portion 27. Note that the orifice member 4 does not have to beformed in a plate shape.

(Connecting Portion 47)

As shown in FIG. 3, by forming a connecting portion 47 that connects theinterior space of the storage container 15 to the storage space 26 in apart excluding the orifice 13 in a case where the storage space 26 isformed in the wipe packaging body 1 between the extraction port member17 and the orifice member 4, the space between the extraction port 12and the orifice member 4 and the interior space of the storagecontainer, which is connected thereto via the connecting portion 47, maybe used as the storage space 26, and as a result, a volume of the spacefor storing the tip end portion of the following wipe 7 projecting fromthe orifice 13 can be enlarged. For example, the connecting portion 47can be formed specifically by forming the orifice member 4 in aprojecting shape and connecting the interior space of the storagecontainer 15 to the storage space 26 on respective side portions of theprojecting part of the orifice member 4. Further, when the bulk of thestacked body 6 decreases such that the orifice member 4 moves toward therear of the storage container 15, the connecting portion 47 is alsoformed at the free end 22 of the orifice member. By forming theconnecting portion 47 in the wipe packaging body 1, a part of the wipe 7that cannot be stored completely within the storage space 26 when thewipe 7 is pressed into the storage space 26 can easily move toward theinterior space of the storage container 15 through the connectingportion 47. In particular, when the bulk of the stacked body 6 is high(at the start of use), a sufficient volume cannot be secured in thestorage space 26, and therefore, by providing the connecting portion 47,the tip end portion of the following wipe 7 projecting from the orifice13 can be stored easily and securely in the storage container.Furthermore, the volume of the storage space 26 itself increases as theorifice member 4 moves downward, and therefore, when the storage space26 is connected to the container interior via the connecting portion 47,the wipe projecting from the orifice 13 can be pushed back into thecontainer and stored even more effectively.

In the wipe packaging body 1 according to the present invention, asshown in FIG. 2, the position of the orifice 13 moves towards the rearside in response to movement of the orifice member 4 as the bulk of thestacked body 6 decreases, and as a result, a space that graduallyincreases in size is formed between the extraction port 12 and theorifice 13 and the peripheral part thereof. Hence, even when the curvedportion 27 is not provided in the orifice member 4 so that the storagespace 26 and the connecting portion 47 are not formed, a space betweenthe extraction port 12 and the orifice member 4 and a space connectingthe free end 22 of the orifice member 4 to the interior of the storagecontainer 15, these spaces being formed in response to movement of theorifice member 4 as the bulk of the stacked body 6 decreases, may beused as a storage space. Accordingly, even when the tip end portion ofthe following wipe 7 projects to the outside by a large amount from theorifice 13, the projecting part can be pushed into the containerstructural body 3 by the extraction portion 11, and by closing the lidbody 5, the wipe 7 can be prevented from drying out. Moreover, when thestorage space 26 and the connecting portion 47 are provided, a wipeprojecting from the orifice 13 can be stored reliably even while thebulk of the stacked body 6 is high. Hence, the storage space 26 and theconnecting portion 47 are preferably provided.

In the example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the orifice member 4 curves in adirection heading from the base end 21 side toward the free end 22 sideso as to form the curved portion 27, but the curve direction of thecurved portion 27 is not limited thereto. Note that in FIG. 3, an arrowC1 indicates the curve direction. As shown in FIG. 16, the curvedportion 27 may be formed to curve in a direction (a direction of anarrow C2 in FIG. 16) that transects the direction heading from the baseend 21 side toward the free end 22 side. At this time, the curvedportion 27 is preferably formed to curve in both the direction (thecurve direction C1 in FIG. 16) heading from the base end 21 side towardthe free end 22 side and the direction (the curve direction C2, forexample) that transects the direction heading from the base end 21 sidetoward the free end 22 side. By forming the curved portion 27 to curvein two directions, the strength of the orifice member 4 can be improved,and as a result, unintended deformation of the orifice member 4 can besuppressed.

Furthermore, in the wipe packaging body 1 according to the presentinvention, as shown in FIG. 5, an interval between the separationportion 10 positioned on the rear end side of the initially extractedwipe 7 (N1) and the orifice 13 is unlikely to widen, and therefore asituation in which the initially extracted wipe 7 is separated from thefollowing wipe 7 before the following wipe 7 passes through the orifice13 is unlikely to occur.

Moreover, when the bulk of the stacked body 6 decreases, the orifice 13tilts such that the free end 22 side moves further inward toward thecontainer structural body 3 side, and therefore, even in a case wherethe tip end of the following wipe 7 that remains within the containerstructural body 3 after being separated at the separation portion 10cannot be held by the orifice 13 so as to fall back into the containerstructural body 3, the tip end part of the wipe 7 can easily be pickedup by the fingertips and extracted.

Second Embodiment

In the wipe packaging body 1 according to the first embodiment, theorifice member 4 is formed from a single piece, but the orifice member 4provided in the wipe packaging body 1 is not limited to thisconfiguration, and instead, the orifice member 4 may be formed from acombination of a plurality of orifice member forming pieces 44. A secondembodiment will now be described on the basis of FIGS. 12 and 13.

The wipe packaging body 1 according to the second embodiment, shown inFIGS. 12 and 13, differs from the wipe packaging body 1 according to thefirst embodiment in that the orifice member 4 is formed from acombination of two orifice member forming pieces 44, while all otherconfigurations may be identical to the first embodiment. Hence,description of locations having identical configurations to the firstembodiment has been omitted, and identical reference symbols have beenapplied thereto.

The orifice member 4 according to the second embodiment is supported bythe extraction portion 11 in cantilevered fashion such that when thewipe packaging body 1 is seen from above, the direction heading from thebase end 21 side toward the free end 22 side of one of the two orificemember forming pieces 44 is opposite to that of the other orifice memberforming piece 44.

In the orifice member 4 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the orifice 13 isformed when two orifice member forming pieces 44 a, 44 b are combined,and the respective orifice member forming pieces 44 a, 44 b arerespectively supported by the extraction portion 11 in cantileveredfashion such that a supported end serves as the base end 21 and anopposite end thereto serves as the free end 22. Cutout portions 46 inshapes corresponding to respective halves of the gripping hole portion28 and the auxiliary holes 33, 34, which are shaped similarly to thoseof the orifice 13 according to the first embodiment, are formed in theorifice member forming pieces 44 a, 44 b. By disposing the orificemember forming pieces 44 a, 44 b so that a side end surface of theorifice member forming piece 44 a opposes a side end surface of theorifice member forming piece 44 b, and aligning the cutout portions 46of the orifice member forming piece 44 a with the cutout portions 46 ofthe orifice member forming piece 44 b, the orifice 13 is formed in asimilar shape to the orifice 13 according to the first embodiment.

In the example shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the orifice 13 is formed bycombining the two orifice member forming pieces 44 a, 44 b, but thepresent invention is not limited thereto, and an orifice member may beformed by combining three or more orifice member forming pieces.Moreover, the orifice 13 may be formed in only a part of the pluralityof orifice member forming pieces, and parts constituting the peripheryof the orifice 13 may be formed on another orifice member forming piece.

With the wipe packaging body 1 according to the second embodiment, asshown in FIG. 13, when the bulk of the stacked body 6 decreases, theplurality of orifice member forming pieces 44 a, 44 b rotate about therespective base ends 21 thereof such that the free ends 22 move towardthe rear side of the storage container 15 (in FIG. 13, a direction inwhich the respective free end 22 sides of the plurality of orificemember forming pieces 44 a, 44 b move is indicated by an arrow K).Hence, the stacked body 6 can be maintained in a condition of beingpressed in the rearward direction of the container structural body 3 bythe respective pressing portions 18 of the plurality of orifice memberforming pieces 44 a, 44 b, and as a result, the stacked structure of thestacked body 6 is held more securely. Note that in FIG. 13, referencesymbols 44 a (T1) and 44 b (T1) respectively denote the orifice memberforming pieces 44 a, 44 b in a condition where the bulk of the stackedbody 6 has decreased.

Further, with the wipe packaging body 1 according to the secondembodiment, when the wipe packaging body 1 is used upright, theplurality of orifice member forming pieces 44 respectively press thestacked body 6 in the rearward direction of the container structuralbody 3 such that the stacked body 6 is pressed in the rearward directionof the container structural body 3 in a plurality of positions. As aresult, collapse of the stacked structure of the stacked body 6 can besuppressed even more reliably.

Third Embodiment

In the wipe packaging body 1 according to the first embodiment, theorifice member 4 is supported by the extraction portion 11 incantilevered fashion, whereas in a third embodiment, as shown in FIG.14, the orifice member 4 is supported by the extraction portion 11 atboth ends. Note that in the present invention, the term “supported atboth ends” is used in relation to cantilever support, and is not limitedto a configuration in which the orifice member 4 is supported at onlytwo points on the base end. Instead, the term “supported at both ends”also includes a configuration in which the orifice member 4 is supportedaround an entire periphery of the base end.

The wipe packaging body 1 according to the third embodiment differs fromthe wipe packaging body 1 according to the first embodiment in thesupport configuration of the orifice member 4, while all otherconfigurations may be identical to the first embodiment. Hence,description of locations having identical configurations to the firstembodiment has been omitted, and identical reference symbols have beenapplied thereto.

In a configuration shown in FIG. 14A, for example, respective ends ofthe orifice member 4 are attached to a bellows 51 fixed to theextraction portion 11, and the orifice member 4 is moved toward the rearside of the container structural body 3 (in a direction of an arrow L)by a restoring force of the compressed bellows 51. Further, in aconfiguration shown in FIG. 14B, the orifice member 4 is fixed torespective other ends of springs 52 fixed to the extraction portion 11,and the orifice member 4 is moved toward the rear side of the containerstructural body 3 (in the direction of the arrow L) by a restoring forceof the compressed springs 52. Furthermore, in a configuration shown inFIG. 14C, the orifice member 4 is fixed to elastic bodies 53 instead ofsprings, and when the elastic bodies 53 are compressed so as to curve,the orifice member 4 is moved toward the rear side of the containerstructural body 3 (in the direction of the arrow L) by a restoring forceof the compressed elastic bodies 53. Note that the elastic bodies 53 maybe separate bodies or an integrated structure provided around theperiphery of the orifice member 4. Moreover, in a configuration shown inFIG. 14D, one end of a rod-shaped support body 54 constituted by anelastic body or the like is folded and attached to the extractionportion 11, another end of the support body 54 is fixed to the orificemember 4, and the orifice member 4 is moved toward the rear side of thecontainer structural body 3 (in the direction of the arrow L) by arestoring force generated when the folded portion is compressed. Rubber,plastic, or the like, for example, may be used as the elastic body, butthe elastic body is not limited thereto, and any material possessingelasticity may be used, although rubber and plastic are typicallypreferable. Note that the configurations shown in FIGS. 14A to 14D areexamples, and the present invention is not limited to these examples.

Fourth Embodiment

In the first to third embodiments, the orifice member 4 is supported bythe extraction portion 11 either in cantilevered fashion or at bothends, whereas in a fourth embodiment, the orifice member 4 is notsupported mechanically by the extraction portion 11.

The wipe packaging body 1 according to the fourth embodiment differsfrom the wipe packaging body 1 according to the first embodiment in thatthe orifice member 4 is not supported by the extraction portion 11,while all other configurations may be identical to the first embodiment.Hence, description of locations having identical configurations to thefirst embodiment has been omitted, and identical reference symbols havebeen applied thereto.

As shown in FIG. 17, in the wipe packaging body 1 according to thefourth embodiment, the orifice member 4 is not supported by theextraction portion 11, and therefore, when the wipes 7 are extractedfrom the stacked body 6 such that the stacked body 6 decreases inthickness, the orifice member 4 falls under its own weight such that theorifice 13 of the orifice member 4 moves toward the rear side of thecontainer structural body 3 (in a direction of an arrow M in FIG. 17).Note that in FIG. 17, a reference symbol 4 (T1) denotes the orificemember 4 in a condition where the bulk of the stacked body 6 hasdecreased by a predetermined amount, and a reference symbol 13 (T1)denotes the orifice 13 of the orifice member 4 (T1).

In the wipe packaging body 1, a condition in which the orifice member 4is placed on the uppermost surface of the stacked body 6 can be realizedeasily, and therefore the interval between the orifice 13 and theseparation portion 10 positioned on the rear end side of the initiallyextracted wipe 7 can be prevented from widening. Hence, a condition inwhich an appropriate frictional force is applied to the wipe 7 from theorifice 13 can be maintained easily, and as a result, the leading wipe 7and the following wipe 7 are more likely to be separated from each otherat an appropriate timing.

(Extension Portion 45)

In the wipe packaging body 1 according to the fourth embodiment, theorifice member 4 may include an extension portion 45 that is formed byextending at least part of an outer peripheral end of the orifice member4 in a direction corresponding to a surface direction of the stackedbody 6. By forming the extension portion 45, the orifice member 4 caneasily be made less likely to move in the surface direction of thestacked body 6 even when the orifice member 4 moves in a thicknessdirection of the stacked body 6. Moreover, the weight of the orificemember 4 can be increased.

The wipe packaging bodies 1 described in detail above are merelyexamples of embodiments of the wipe packaging body 1 according to thepresent invention, and other appropriate embodiments may be employedwithin a scope that does not depart from the spirit of the presentinvention.

EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   1 wipe packaging body-   3 container structural body-   4 orifice member-   5 lid body-   6 stack of wipes-   7 wipe-   8, 9 folded back portion-   10 separation portion-   10 a overlapping portion-   10 b detachment portion-   11 extraction portion-   12 extraction port-   13 orifice-   14 wipe sheet-   15 storage container-   16 opening portion-   17 extraction port member-   18 pressing portion-   19 attachment portion-   21 base end-   22 free end-   23 bent portion-   24 elastic body-   25 carrying surface-   26 storage space-   27 curved portion-   28 gripping hole portion-   33, 34 auxiliary hole-   37, 38 slit-   40 rib-   41 base end portion-   42 free end portion-   43 central portion-   44 orifice member forming piece-   45 extension portion-   46 cutout portion-   47 connecting portion-   51 bellows-   52 spring-   53 elastic body-   54 support body

1. A wipe packaging body formed by storing a stack of wipes constitutedby a plurality of overlapping wipes in a storage container of acontainer structural body, wherein in said container structural body, anextraction port member having an extraction port for extracting saidwipes from said storage container is hermetically joined to an openingportion of said storage container, and an orifice member that appliestwo types of resistance in order to separate a wipe extracted initiallyfrom said stored stack of wipes from a following wipe is provided in aposition further within said storage container than said extraction portof said extraction port member, said orifice member having a pressingportion that presses said stack of wipes so as to apply a firstresistance to said wipes and an orifice that applies a second resistancegenerated by frictional force to said wipes, and said containerstructural body has a lid body that can be opened and closed freely, andis capable of hermetically sealing said extraction port.
 2. The wipepackaging body according to claim 1, wherein said orifice member issupported by said extraction port member.
 3. The wipe packaging bodyaccording to claim 1, wherein said orifice member is configured to movetoward a rear of said storage container while pressing said stack ofwipes in accordance with an amount by which a bulk of said stack ofwipes decreases as said wipes are extracted.
 4. The wipe packaging bodyaccording to claim 1, wherein a force required to separate said wipesfrom each other is between 20 and 800 mN/cm.
 5. The wipe packaging bodyaccording to claim 1, wherein said orifice member is constituted by anelastic member.
 6. The wipe packaging body according to claim 1, whereinsaid orifice member comprises a base end and a free end, said orificemember is supported within said storage container in a cantileveredfashion at said base end, and said pressing portion is provided in apart of said orifice member other than said base end.
 7. The wipepackaging body according to claim 1, wherein said orifice member issupported within said storage container at both of two base endssandwiching said orifice, and said pressing portion is provided in apart of said orifice member other than said two base ends.
 8. The wipepackaging body according to claim 1, wherein said orifice membercomprises a curved portion that projects toward said rear of saidstorage container, and said orifice is formed in said curved portion. 9.The wipe packaging body according to claim 1, wherein a force requiredto separate said wipes from each other is F0, said first resistance,which serves as a pressing force applied to said wipes by said orificemember, is F1, and said second resistance, which serves as saidfrictional force applied to said wipes by said orifice member, is F2, arelationship of F1<F0<F1+F2 is established between F0, F1, and F2.